Embodiments disclosed herein include multilayer films that have at least two layers. More particularly, disclosed in embodiments herein are multilayer films that include at least a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer includes at least one polyethylene polymer, wherein the second layer includes at least one water-soluble polymer, wherein the second layer is insoluble in water at a temperature of less than 20° C., wherein the second layer is soluble in water at a temperature of 20° C. or greater, and wherein the first layer has one or more openings through the first layer to expose the second layer. Also disclosed herein are methods of using such multilayer films for extracting metal from metal ore.

Embodiments disclosed herein include multilayer films that have at least two layers. More particularly, disclosed in embodiments herein are multilayer films that include at least a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer includes at least one polyethylene polymer, wherein the second layer includes at least one water-soluble polymer, wherein the second layer is insoluble in water at a temperature of less than 20° C., wherein the second layer is soluble in water at a temperature of 20° C. or greater, and wherein the first layer has one or more openings through the first layer to expose the second layer. Also disclosed herein are methods of using such multilayer films for extracting metal from metal ore.

A method for the recovery of a precious metal from activated carbon fines which includes the steps of adsorption of the precious metals from the activated carbon fines onto a weak-base anion exchange resin which contains guanidine functional groups in the presence of at least one suitable lixiviant, or adsorption of the precious metals from activated carbon fines onto a mixed-base resin which contains amine functional groups in the presence of at least one suitable lixiviant and eluting the resin with a suitable eluant to produce a precious metal-containing eluate.

A method and system for converting copper cyanide to copper oxide is provided. The method includes contacting a copper cyanide solution with an acidic solution in a precipitation tank under reaction conditions sufficient to produce a copper cyanide slurry, removing the copper cyanide slurry from the precipitation tank, separating solid copper cyanide from the copper cyanide slurry in a first separation device, removing the solid copper cyanide from the first separation device, contacting the solid copper cyanide with a sodium hydroxide solution in a production tank under reaction conditions sufficient to produce a copper oxide slurry, removing the copper oxide slurry from the production tank, separating solid copper oxide from the copper oxide slurry in a second separation device, and removing from the second separation device any residual sodium hydroxide not reacted during the process of contacting the solid copper cyanide with the sodium hydroxide solution in the production tank.

A method for extracting base and precious metals, all contained in refractory minerals, using aqueous media. The method includes mixing the mineral (Cu2S, CuS, CuFeS2, Cu5FeS4, FeS2, FeAsS.NiS, (Ni,Fe)xSy), ground to an appropriate size (2.5 centimetres), with a specific dose of solid reagent in a rotary agglomeration drum and then adding slightly acidified water to obtain a defined water content (5-8%) depending on the type of gangue contained in the metal-containing solid, thereby forming an agglomerate that will form a heap, which is subsequently allowed to stand for a period of several days (20-60 days), during which the conditions required to transform the refractory matrix into a highly soluble solid will be generated. Finally, appropriately regulated irrigation is applied, thus resulting in extraction of the metal by simple aqueous washing.

A method for extracting base and precious metals, all contained in refractory minerals, using aqueous media. The method includes mixing the mineral (Cu2S, CuS, CuFeS2, Cu5FeS4, FeS2, FeAsS.NiS, (Ni,Fe)xSy), ground to an appropriate size (2.5 centimetres), with a specific dose of solid reagent in a rotary agglomeration drum and then adding slightly acidified water to obtain a defined water content (5-8%) depending on the type of gangue contained in the metal-containing solid, thereby forming an agglomerate that will form a heap, which is subsequently allowed to stand for a period of several days (20-60 days), during which the conditions required to transform the refractory matrix into a highly soluble solid will be generated. Finally, appropriately regulated irrigation is applied, thus resulting in extraction of the metal by simple aqueous washing.

A process for leaching a mineral particulate material comprising the steps of feeding the mineral particulate material to a leaching step (10) in which at least one valuable metal in the mineral particulate material is leached into a leach solution to form a pregnant leach liquor and a solid residue containing undissolved mineral matter, the leaching step being conducted under conditions such that elemental sulphur is formed in the leaching step, wherein beads or particles that take up elemental sulphur are added to the leaching step such that elemental sulphur is taken up by or collects on the beads or particles, and separating the beads or particles from the pregnant leach liquor and the solid residue. The beads or particles may be treated to remove sulphur and the beads or particles are returned to the leaching step. Alternatively the mineral doesn't need to comprise a soluble component and can be a refractory sulphide of iron and/or arsenic containing precious metals that require oxidation before downstream conventional processes such as cyanidation.

A process for leaching a mineral particulate material comprising the steps of feeding the mineral particulate material to a leaching step (10) in which at least one valuable metal in the mineral particulate material is leached into a leach solution to form a pregnant leach liquor and a solid residue containing undissolved mineral matter, the leaching step being conducted under conditions such that elemental sulphur is formed in the leaching step, wherein beads or particles that take up elemental sulphur are added to the leaching step such that elemental sulphur is taken up by or collects on the beads or particles, and separating the beads or particles from the pregnant leach liquor and the solid residue. The beads or particles may be treated to remove sulphur and the beads or particles are returned to the leaching step. Alternatively the mineral doesn't need to comprise a soluble component and can be a refractory sulphide of iron and/or arsenic containing precious metals that require oxidation before downstream conventional processes such as cyanidation.

A method of processing a gold-containing ore that contains reactive sulphide minerals that includes selecting processing conditions to optimize liberating gold in reactive sulphide minerals and processing the ore in accordance with the selected processing conditions and liberating gold in the reactive sulphide minerals. In other words, when there are reactive sulphide minerals and “barren” minerals in an ore, the invention focuses on liberating gold in the reactive sulphide minerals only.

A method of processing a gold-containing ore that contains reactive sulphide minerals that includes selecting processing conditions to optimize liberating gold in reactive sulphide minerals and processing the ore in accordance with the selected processing conditions and liberating gold in the reactive sulphide minerals. In other words, when there are reactive sulphide minerals and “barren” minerals in an ore, the invention focuses on liberating gold in the reactive sulphide minerals only.